Our Home Away From Home
by thesoutherncross100
Summary: Unable to stand the racism and prejudices directed at dinosaurs, Ramirez leaves his frontier settlement with his Utahdon friend Florence in search of the mythical Great Valley. Note: This could be considered a prequel to my "Littlefoot Chronicles" series if you look at it from a certain point of view.
1. Prologue

**Utahdon= Utahraptor+Troodon hybrid  
** **Ramirez's flintlock rifle is a Harper's Ferry Model 1816 musket with a rifled barrel capable of accepting improved Minie Projectiles  
**

* * *

 **Prologue**

Silently, Ramirez crouch walks through the dense brush. On his head was an olive colored tricorne hat and in his hand was a flintlock rifle; one given to him by his father on his birthday last week. At just five years old, Ramirez had been sent out by his family to get to grips with hunting and bag something which would keep them sustained for the coming days. Out here in the wild where predatory dinosaurs ruled, he had to learn quickly, lest he wanted to become a meal himself.

Seventy five yards in front of him, a Saurolophus quenched its thirst from the river, totally unaware that it was being stalked by a gun armed human. Ramirez pulls the hammer of his rifle back and takes aim, placing the front bead squarely on his target's neck and aligning it with the rear sight. One shot was all he had. If he hit, there was dinner; if he missed, he would have to find something else to bag or return home empty handed.

 _TSSH_

 _POOMB_

Sparks created by the flint striking the prizzen ignite the powder in the pan which in turn ignites the rest of the charge located in the barrel, sending the Minie pattern conical projectile out of the barrel. It shrieked towards its target, making one full revolution after the other to stabilize itself in the air. At the end of its journey, the bullet penetrates the Saurolophus exactly where Ramirez had been aiming, destroying the neck bone and blowing a hole through the right carotid artery.

Death came within a matter of seconds and the boy could see his target fall into a bush after taking a few panicked steps. He loads a new charge into his rifle as fast as he could and shuts the pan after filling it with powder. The hammer put on half-cock, he trots over to the bush, clutching his rifle with the barrel pointed upwards. Dinner would be served tonight.

Or so he thought.

When he reached the dead dinosaur, a pair of Utahraptors were already on the scene and they were thinking about having an easy meal. They snarled when they saw Ramirez, prompting him to mount a bayonet on his rifle. "Back off!" He shouts. "Unless you want to become a pair of juicy appetizers." Neither heeded his warning. Instead they charged him, forcing the boy to shoot one and bayonet the other in self-defense. Fearing yet another attack, he reloads his gun once more and scans the horizon before approaching the carcass.

"You have given me enough trouble." Ramirez sighs before pulling his hunting knife out.

 **Back on our home continent, we were the rulers of the land and sea. Our ships defeated the mightiest of sea creatures while our soldiers did battle with the wild beasts to tame the land. We started out with small settlements but eventually these little villages became towns. Paris, our capitol was once nothing more than a patch of dirt but now it was the center of power. But out here in the new world we call North Cretaceous, humans are no longer the kings.**

 **We were food to the dinosaurs as they are to us. Here the playing field was more level and your species didn't matter. What matters most is your gut; your willingness to kill. Most important of all, you must possess a strong, almost stone cold heart. Even a tiny amount of softness can get you killed out here in the untamed lands.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **People were much more accepting back home and while discrimination against dinosaurs were not unheard of, it was much more common out here where I live. Everyone in our small settlement hated those beasts. They call them uncivilized savages. Ever since I was born, my parents taught me to stay clear of dinosaurs unless you were hunting them. They told me how these massive beasts would not hesitate to kill my fellow humans, even if their targets were innocent children.**

 **Naturally this caused me to fear them and it made me not want to run off into the woods without escort. My first hunt gave me most of my adventurous spirit back. I felt safer with a gun in my hand, knowing I could defend myself should I be attacked. Papa and mama allowed me to bring my gun around. Heck, they required me to take at least one gun with me whenever I decided to venture into the forest.**

His two preserving bags filled to the brim with dinosaur meat, Ramirez returned from the woods with a firm grin on his face. Samuel McClemont and his wife Aurinda rushed over to their son and took the bags off him. Despite their worries, his first hunt was a resounding success, giving the family enough meat to last them a couple of weeks while still having extra to sell. Compared to beef, chicken, fish, and even seafood, dinosaur meat was extremely valuable.

Just one 15cmx15cm slab was worth over five hundred dollars, though most traders preferred to trade using silver mint since currency inflation would only drive their value up. The value of the day was ten dollars per ounce, which meant the McClemont family would earn more than a few tins of silver mint if they sold off the extras. Samuel and Aurinda were extremely proud of their son, his prowess with the antiquated flintlock especially.

Ever since the advent of percussion caps, flintlocks have fallen out of favor and while people still used them, these guns were usually made on order. Ramirez chose a flintlock Minie rifle over a percussion cap version because he wanted something he could use should he find himself stuck in the wild. Percussion caps may be waterproof but he would need a steady supply of these to keep the gun running. By comparison, a flintlock rifle only needed flint, powder, and Minie ball to work.

"Your son is shaping up to become a fine hunter, Aurinda!" A market trader remarks as she hands over the tins of silver mint.

"Thank you, Mary." She smiles. "Frankly speaking, neither Samuel nor I thought he was going to bag anything this big."

"Probably still has some hunter instinct from his past life."

"Perhaps."

A short walk from the market, Ramirez sits quietly in the front porch of the large(compared to the other houses)yet simple home he and his family resided in. In his hand was a copy of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Like his father, Ramirez was a history buff and despite his age, he loved to read stories and poems about great battles of the past. The epic told the story of a man called Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk who was two-third god and one third human.

Next to him, his father was practicing a tune on his guitar. While pianos were very popular back home on the continent of Elysium, the simpler guitar was more prevalent here as it was easily acquired and did not occupy a large space in the home. Life was just too simple out here for something as grand as a piano.

"Ramirez, have you cleaned your gun yet?" Aurinda asked as she approached the front porch.

"Scrubbed the bore; cleaned the action; oiled everything which required oil." He answers. "Everything's done, mama."

"Good."

"You don't have to worry about our boy, dear." Samuel smiles. "He's already more independent and mature than most of his peers."

"True, but it's always good to give a reminder. We are all humans at the end and we will forget things every now and then."

"Can you tone it down a little? I'm trying to read something here."

 **Yeah, I can be quite direct when it comes to talking. That's just who I am. If I want something done, I'll just ask you directly. I just don't understand why some people will say a bunch of absolute nonsense only to ask you the same question which would've been asked an eternity ago. Something tells me we are going to be a sensitive lot within a matter of years.**

 **Anyways, we're getting a little off topic here aren't we? Let's get back to it all.**

 **Life out here in the wild can be an adventure, it can also be a dangerous one. Home might seem to be the safest place you can possibly be, but sometimes that safety has to be fought for. Because dinosaurs out here don't seem to understand the meaning of territory or borders.**

It was around six in the evening when the gates of the settlement were literally ripped off their hinges. Almost immediately, a large group of Utahdons burst in with their killing claws extended. Those out on the street began running for their homes when they saw the approaching threat, screaming in fear. Though the settlement did not possess any form of heavy artillery and had very few punt guns, the Theropods have failed to account for the fact that everyone here was ready to fight to the death.

Men, women, and children who knew how to shoot grabbed their guns from the cupboards and began firing at the advancing dinosaurs. Most were armed with rifles, allowing them to hit their targets with the first shot and kill them. Two of the Utahdons somehow manage to avoid getting hit and attempt to barge into one of the homes. When they knocked down the door however, a very angry old man confronted them with a sawn off double barreled shotgun.

"You just entered the wrong home, pal."

 _BANG_

 _BANG_

His son and wife immediately ran for the door after he fired and covered the old man as he rammed two fresh charges into his gun(one in each barrel)and capped the nipples. At the Ramirez home, Samuel got ahold of his Colt 1855 Revolving rifle and was putting round after round into his foes. Most in the settlement have avoided purchasing the revolving rifles due to their tendency to chain fire but Samuel got around this problem by putting a wad in between the charge and projectile to keep loose powder from leaking.

Another advantage of the revolving rifle was its ability to swap cylinders quickly, allowing the user to quickly reload the gun by swapping the empty cylinder with one which was preloaded. As Samuel grabbed a new cylinder from his custom made leather pouch, he suddenly spots one of the Utahdons charging towards Parsons, who was desperately trying to reload his musket. Given how fast the Theropod was running, there seemed no hope for the old man.

Suddenly Ramirez, who had been standing right next to his father, shouldered his rifle and and pulled the trigger. To everyone's surprise, he struck the Utahdon dead center in its side, causing it to lose balance and fall over onto his right side. At first the shot seemed like a miracle shot but the boy repeated his feat more than twice as he fired at anything which was not human. One Utahdon thought it could outwit him by coming in close but Ramirez simply thrust his rifle forward, allowing the bayonet to do its job.

Despite the initial surprise advantage, the Utahdons were forced to retreat under the hail of relentless gunfire and worse still, they suffered heavy casualties for nothing. They might've caused panic in the settlement but none of its inhabitants were wounded or killed. They nearly got Parsons but that particular Utahdon had been denied his kill by a five year old boy. That's right, he was stopped by a kid who was more than ten years younger than he was.

"Your boy is a crack shot!" Parsons remarked. "I genuinely thought I was going to die."

"Neither of us anticipated him to be this good." Aurinda responds. "Shooting moving targets repeatedly is not a feat we can all pull off."

"Yeah, teach us a few of your moves, kid." Jackson said.

"I just aimed ahead of my target." Ramirez answers.

"Come on, it can't be that simple."

"It IS! All I did was estimate how fast they travel, aim ahead, and keep the barrel moving while I pulled the trigger."

"So basically the kid used the same tactic we used to shoot birds." The old man appeared from behind the group, still clutching the shotgun he used earlier. "Though I must say he's a heck of a shot, being able to plant a single projectile into such a fast moving creature consistently."

While the settlers congratulated young Ramirez for his amazing shooting prowess, the pack of Utahdons rejoined the main pack. Well, what was left of them. Out of the fifty which went out that day, only five returned and all but one were wounded. Three of them were limping by the time they reached their pack while the fourth had his right arm blown clean off. The one who wasn't wounded was the one who led them back to the pack and everyone was shocked when they saw the condition of their brethren.

They were even more horrified when they realized just how many they've lost in this single attack on the human settlements. Now the Alpha truly understood the power of a combined human force. Alone and out in the wild, they were vulnerable to attack if the attackers came en masse. But humans in a united settlement were nothing to sneeze at. Their combined firepower could wipe out a force with superior numbers even without weapons like heavy cannons and artillery pieces.

One of the younger Utahdons, a female by the name of Florence, lost her brother in the attack. He had been the one who was killed by Ramirez while charging a defenseless Parsons.

 **Hostiles attacked human settlements at random. On all occasions they would be repelled as gun armed humans were at their best when they had solid cover to shoot from. This time we were lucky to suffer no casualties, but it wasn't always this easy. During one attack, our settlement leader was very nearly killed, saved only when his right hand man decided to sacrifice himself for the sake of his boss. That man just so happened to be my late Uncle Thomas.**

 **Honestly I never quite understood why the Utahdons kept attacking our charming little settlement. Mama and Papa told me it was because they were uncivilized savages but I think there's more than that. If only I could have a friendly conversation with a member of their species, maybe I would know more.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **For me, making friends with my peers was a bit difficult. Everyone else didn't seem to give a damn about the world we live in. Every day they just wake up, say their prayers, get taught a few things, and they were off playing. I on the other hand went out into the woods to hunt very often and rarely spent time in the settlement center where most of the kids hung out. When I did however, they usually rejected me because I lacked their childish attitude.**

 **Well I did. I couldn't quite understand how they found their own jokes funny or found amusement in throwing rocks at some of the traders. Also there were times when they would sit down and talk about how their moms did this and their dads did that during the attacks. Heh, I helped out in the defense unlike these little brats who only knew how to play. If something happened, they'd probably be the first ones to perish, given how they had no idea how to survive in the wild.**

 **Most of the time I spent reading my copy of the Epic of Gilgamesh or some other historical literature. My favorite was and still is "The Song Of Roland", and I have two copies of the same book, one in English and the other in French.**

Growth is something we'd all have to experience and with growth came aging. Not even Ramirez was spared from aging and within a matter of years, the young childish face was replaced with one which was more matured looking. Though he was only eight by this point, his height, posture, and facial features made him resemble that of a tween. Reading was something he still did, though he mostly burnt off time by exploring the nearby woods. The flintlock rifle he had protected him from all those who dared to attack and he had a shotgun style double barreled pistol as a backup firearm.

This new setup he found perfect for trudging through the foliage, so perfect that he wore it even when out hunting. Today he was once again on the prowl and this time, something much meatier came into his sights. It was a fully grown Iguanodon. Just one of these could keep the family sustained for more than a month with enough spare meat to gain a total income of more than five tins of silver mint. Ramirez knew where he had to aim and he pulls the hammer back. Slowly the front sight placed squarely on the creature's neck.

He aligns it with the rear sight and pulled the rear trigger to activate the hair trigger. All it took was a slight touch and the gun would fire. Yup, the gun could literally be "touched off".

 _TSSH_

 _POOMB_

A large cloud of smoke filled the air, blocking the view momentarily. When it cleared, Ramirez was already halfway through his reload and he could see the dead Iguanodon right in front of him. Just like on his first hunt, he mounts the bayonet on his rifle before approaching the carcass. When he neared the dead beast, he smiled and shook his head in disbelief. Right next to the Iguanodon was a young Utahdon. She was still alive but was on the ground with her eyes closed, probably fearing for her life.

"You better work on your hiding." The boy quips. "I can see you!"

"Oh… Hey." She gives a guilty grin. "I-I'm Florence by the way."

"McClemont, Ramirez McClemont. Just call me Ramirez."

"Nice to meet you."

"Same to you." He pulls his hunting knife out and sighs. "And they say your kind were uncivilized."

"Who? Other humans?"

"Yeah."

"My mom said humans were ruthless killing machines."

"Ya don't say?"

"But you seem like a nice guy."

"And you seem like a nice girl."

 **Ah yes, that first encounter I had with young Florence. She honestly surprised me by not jumping up and ripping my carotid arteries out with her teeth. We chatted quite happily, sharing our stories from home and cracking the occasional joke while I skinned the meat and placed them inside the two preserving bags I took. The more we talked, the more I realized how similar our lives really were.**

 **We lived in communities; we had leaders of our own; and we hunted for food in the woods. Of course, we humans differed slightly because we also grew crops and vegetables and we have domesticated animals like cows and chickens. Both of us also agreed that the stories about the other species being killers were completely false and merely fabricated to indoctrinate the next generation and continue the tradition of segregation and racism.**

 **Even after I finished skinning the carcass, I stayed around and chatted with Florence for a bit to learn a little more about why her species constantly attacked our settlements. Unfortunately for me, her fellow brethren decided to make an appearance and none of them were as friendly as she was.**

Rustling in the foliage interrupted Ramirez and Florence's conversation. The female Utahdon suggested that her friend run off before he was discovered and he agreed. Ramirez placed the preserving bags in his woven hunting backpack and grabbed his rifle, stealthily crouch running through the forest in an attempt to make it back home undetected. Unfortunately for him, the leader of the pack discovered him before he even made the five hundred yard mark.

Florence could see her pack members charging towards her human friend and shouted for them to stop, reasoning that he was the one who gave them the carcass they now had in their possession. Unfortunately for her, none of them listened and now she would get a first glimpse of what her parents have been telling her about. Cornered and with running no longer an option, Ramirez raises his rifle and shoots the first Utahdon, killing him with a shot to the neck.

The second attempts to get close but Ramirez had the advantage in reach. His flintlock rifle was longer than the Theropod's hands and since the bayonet was mounted on the barrel, he easily jams it right into his foe long before he got within striking distance. Now the battle was getting real close, way too close for comfort. It was time to put his backup to good use. Ramirez, the crack shot responsible for shooting three Utahdons who were running at full speed during the attack on his settlement, pulls his double barreled shotgun pistol, blasting the Utahdon on his right with a full dose of buckshot.

Another attacker appeared on his left but it too was dispatched with a dose of buckshot. By now all of Ramirez's guns were empty and he was down to fighting with blades. His father once said that if a human was ever caught in a close quartered melee with dinosaurs, he or she was destined to lose. Samuel however, failed to account for the fact that his son was not the type to back down. Instead of accepting his fate, the boy pulls his Bowie knife from its sheath which was attached to his belt and thrusts it right into the neck of the Utahdon closest to him.

He follows up the attack by slashing his second target in the carotid artery, causing blood to spray onto his hand, clothes, and face. A third jumps on him from behind but he swiftly stabs it right in the skull. From where she was, Florence could only watch on silently as her human friend took down his attackers one at a time. It didn't matter that he received a scar on his right cheek or a massive slash wound running the length of his right arm, he just kept on killing and did so until no one else came to attack him.

"Anyone else want to challenge me?!" He shouts. "No? Good! Let's keep it that way!"

Despite the overwhelming odds stacked against him, Ramirez somehow survived the onslaught and made it home with dinner still fresh. His parents and just about everyone in the community were shocked when they saw his face and clothes covered in blood. The children of the settlement were especially surprised when they saw their reject return in such a state. All of them knew it wasn't his blood but the blood of those he slayed. He was just like one of those mythical slayers of great beasts from old folktales; clean and well-dressed during his departure, ragged and rugged looking during his return.

While he had absolutely no idea at the time, the total body count was ten Utahdons.

"Food is in the bag." He said calmly. "Now if you would excuse me, I need a good bath."

 **So I've seen the good side and the bad side of the Utahdons. And thanks to my short conversation with Florence, I now understood why we fought. It wasn't because one was evil and one was not, it was because of segregation caused by old farts who refused to change. Some of the dinosaurs say we build homes and destroy their lands but I say they should make some room for us. We are just like you, rulers of the land.**

 **They have the brawns, we have the brains; they capture the territories, we set up a functioning government to keep things in check. Our species should be inseparable, given how good of a pair we really are. Yet thanks to a bunch of old fools from the middle ages, segregation, racism, and bigotry have all but destroyed our relationship. Our children are being poisoned by men of the past and they in turn poison their next generation.**

 **I was lucky to have met Florence and she was lucky to have met me. Both of us were lucky. Why? Because we met each other before we were poisoned and this allowed us to open our eyes. Sure, I was attacked by the so called "beasts" but that was because they have been poisoned by their forefathers and were seeking revenge. And once you're poisoned, there is no reason left in you. In that instance I had no choice but to kill, not out of hatred but in defense of my own life.**

 **You tell me unity between our species is impossible but I say "Les mot impossible n'est pas Français". Yes, my family is of English descent but for generations I have lived in France, do you have a problem? No, of course not! I am a human just like you. So why do you have a problem with dinosaurs and humans uniting? Is it simply because we are of a different species? If so, my friend please, do yourself a favor and throw the old bigoted thinking into the waste bin.**

 **I have proven already that it is possible for us to push through our old beliefs and open up our minds. And I'm not the only one who can safely say I have done it. That young Utahdon Florence.**

 **She can too…**

It was the dead of night, yet Ramirez was unable to sleep. He was still thinking about what happened during the day, more specifically how he befriended a young Utahdon without being killed. The boy still had trouble wrapping his head around the fact that all those years his parents had actually been lying to him. When he was younger, his parents have always taught him never to lie and stories they told about Pinocchio growing a long nose for lying served to reinforce their teachings.

Yet all these times they were talking about how bad it is, they still did it; spreading the word about how dinosaurs were mindless killing machines and uncivilized savages. Why? He wondered. Why did they continue to spread all those false stories cooked up by settlers of a time long gone? As he sat in the backyard, he looks up into the stars. His mother and father have told him that they were his ancestors looking down upon him.

Were they lying about this as well?

"Psst! Hey!" A voice came from the bush on his right. "Ramirez!"

"What are you doing here?" He hisses. "If they catch you, you're dead!"

"I just came to say I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I didn't know-"

"Then again we're the only ones who seem to understand that what everyone's been saying is nonsense."

"True."

Footsteps could be heard coming from inside the house, indicating that someone was awake and on the move. And judging by the sound, someone was approaching them. Florence exchanged hasty goodbyes with her human friend and dove back into the bush, silently sneaking out of the settlement without being detected.

She was lucky, very very lucky.

Aurinda heard the chatter coming from the back porch and had armed herself with a double barreled shotgun before coming out to investigate. Naturally she was a little confused when she saw her son sitting all by himself.

"Who was it that you were talking to?" She asks.

"No one." He chuckled nervously. "I was uhm, talking to… Myself."

"Don't lie to me, I heard another voice."

"Fine… I couldn't sleep, so I came out here. Then this weird looking midget came out of the brush and we chatted for a bit."

"Midget? By golly! You saw the elusive Elf?!"

"Yeah, why?"

"You are one lucky child, Ramirez. Only a few people have seen it so far."

"Ah."

"Come on in now, you gotta get some sleep at least."

"Okay mama."

 **This was the second time she surprised me. First with her friendliness and now by apologizing on behalf of her pack for nearly killing me. Not like it was her fault to begin with but what can I say? As long as it makes her feel better, I'm fine with it. Frankly speaking, I am a little ashamed of the adults in our settlement. Yes, going out to mingle with Utahdons might not be a good idea right now but if we all work together and try a hand at uniting, imagine what might become of us.**

 **We could be a global superpower, one which could tame the world and make it our oyster. If only the first encounter didn't shape the way we viewed this rare breed of dinosaur which was truly on par with us.**

 **If only…**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **I never thought I'd make any friends. Like I said before, my peers rejected me because I was too "mature", even though I was the same age they were. All I did was go out to hunt for food and support the family. How is that being overly mature? It's not like I'm running the whole family myself. Papa had to tend to the crops and mama traded goods on the market and made the home. Neither had any time to go hunt, leaving the task to me.**

 **Fortunately for me, friendship was something I wasn't going to miss out. Fate gave me Florence and guess what? We became the best of friends. Despite what our parents told us, despite everything our elders said, we broke the barriers of segregation and made the world a wee bit better than before.**

 **Well, for us at least.**

Previously on most hunting days, Ramirez would be up by nine and that's only because his mother forced him to wake up by cracking her husband's bullwhip in the house. One time she even smashed a vase by accident but hey, it got her son up and the money they would earn from just his hunting trip was worth more than ten of the same vases. But ever since he made friends with Florence, Ramirez never woke up late again. In fact, he woke up a whole lot earlier than what he used to; three hours to be precise.

This was prime hunting time since a lot of dinosaurs would be out feeding or quenching their thirst. But Ramirez wasn't out early because he wanted to bag bigger prey. He went out early so he could play with his friend before actually going about hunting. Samuel and Aurinda knew their boy went out longer than before but didn't pay too much attention. Both believed the larger amount of prey present made their son become a more picky hunter who wanted to bag the biggest out of the bunch.

And he DID come back with a few biggies every now and then, which was more than enough for the couple. That being said, playtime was still the main reason he woke up early and playtime was exactly what he got plenty of.

"Florence?" Ramirez looks around to make sure there weren't any humans or big predators in the area. "Florence! You here?"

Next thing he knew, his eyes were looking straight up the sky. Standing right on his chest was the little Utahdon he befriended, the grin of happiness evident on her face. Their giggles, shouts, and laughs could be heard all around the forest as they chased one another around, playing tag amongst other games. Each day they spent together was a happy day and whenever they went home, their parents couldn't help but notice the excited expression on their faces, totally unaware of what was going on in the wild.

"If only we could do this for the whole day." Ramirez remarks as he lies on the ground with his friend next to him. "Oh, why can't momma and papa realize we're all living beings at the end of the day?"

"You think you have a bad family." Florence rolls her eyes. "Mine would kill me if they found out I was friends with you."

"Time's almost up though, should we go hunt something before it's too late?"

"Yeah."

No matter how much they loved to play, the two younglings knew their communities needed food and at the end of each play session, they made sure to bag something before going their separate ways. Using Florence's excellent sense of smell and Ramirez' rifle, the two children were an extremely deadly duo. No dinosaur was safe from them, not even if they tried to hide. Due to the fact that his friend couldn't carry the carcass on her own, Ramirez would skin the meat first and scooch before she called her pack in with an assembly caw.

They would in turn bring the whole carcass back and distribute it to the entire community. Unlike other Theropods which lived in packs, Utahdons ran a similar system to the humans. Everyone in the settlement got an equal share; from the lowliest pack member to the Alpha himself. Florence's parents were a bit concerned when their daughter started going into the forest on her own but when they realized she was returning with meat all the time, they gave their approval.

Hey, there was an easy source of meat! Who would want to miss out on that?

 **Trust me when I say we've been in more than a few close encounters. One time we fell into a raging river and had to trudge through unfamiliar territory armed only with claws and a rifle which was more a pike than gun thanks to the wet gunpowder. There was also this occasion where we purposely provoked a Deinosuchus to see what sort of reaction it would have.**

 **Let's just say that did not turn well.**

 **But hey, at least we're still in one piece right? That's the thing about young children. We love to explore and play around. If there's a big red thing with a giant sign written right above it saying "Do Not Touch", we would still touch it. Exploration and adventure, that was our childhood. The most dangerous of our endeavors was visiting each other's communities. I nearly got my head ripped off once when Florence's mother spotted me eyeing her community from a nearby bush.**

 **And then, there was this…**

Like a silent assassin, Ramirez dashed across the street and entered the alleyway on the opposite end. Back on the other side, Florence could see her friend waving for her to run over and join him. She looks around nervously, checking to make sure there was no one around to see her when she made her run. Fortunately for her, the area seemed deserted and she dashed across as fast as she could, quickly taking cover behind her friend's leg.

"We're clear." He said. "Let's visit the town square."

"I don't think that's a good idea at all." She responds. "Maybe we should just turn back."

"What's to be afraid of? Remember that time I nearly became a headless chicken?"

"It's not funny!"

"Come on, I'm sure they're a forgiveful lot."

"Yeah, I'm pretty darn sure you didn't describe your fellow humans this way."

"With me around I mean."

Despite her reluctance, Florence follows her friend through the back alley. Ocassionally he lifted her up so she could see humans go about their daily life through the back windows. When someone came out of the backdoor, they dove behind trash bins or some other pieces of concealment to keep themselves from being spotted. There was no telling what might happen to them if someone was to see them. Ramirez would probably get a verbal beating from his parents.

As for Florence, well she might as well be dead because the humans would almost certainly turn her into dino stew. By sheer luck, they somehow make it to the end of the alleyway undetected and right in front of them was the town center. Traders were already starting to set up their stalls and Aurinda could be seen chatting to her friend Mary, who deals specially in dinosaur meat.

"Yeah, I think we should go back before we get spotted." The Utahdon suggests.

"Sure you don't want to dash across to the other alleyway?" Ramirez points at another alleyway across the street. "That takes us north."

"I wouldn't want to take such a gamble. What if I get spotted?"

"Don't be such a worry-freak."

Before she knew what was going on, her friend made a mad dash across the street and makes it to the other side undetected. All of a sudden, Florence found herself alone and without escort. It was like he was forcing her to come along or get captured. Left with no choice she runs. Though the distance was short, the alley seemed like it was miles away. She was almost through to the other side when one of the settlers screamed.

"Intruder!" A man shouted. "Utahdon in the settlement! Everyone to your arms!"

What an "oh crap" moment eh? Florence stares at her friend irritatedly but he didn't seem too bothered by it all. In fact, he seemed rather calm about the whole thing.

"Okay, lure them by running back across." He said. "I'll work my magic."

"Yeah right, like I'm going to listen to you again." She scowls. "No!"

"Fine, then I'll leave you to die."

Once again Ramirez runs off without his friend and once again, he forces her into a situation where she had no choice but to follow his actions. Florence runs back across the street, attracting the attention of a few gun armed settlers who began chasing her down the alleyway. Her speed gave her a massive advantage, allowing her to gain considerable amount of distance between herself and her human opponents.

 _BANG_

"Help!" A familiar voice cried out. "Utahraptors are attacking the Northern wall!"

Almost immediately the settlers who were pursuing Florence turned tail and ran in the direction of the Northern wall. When they reached it, they saw their community's best shot trying desperately to hold off against a pack of Utahraptors charging down towards his position and unleashed everything they had, gunning down the pack in a matter of seconds. Ramirez lowers his rifle and sighed.

He was ready to thrust the bayonet right into one of them if they ever got close.

"What happened?" Aurinda asks. "Weren't you out hunting?"

"That happened, mama." He answers. "I was prowling the area when I bumped into them."

"Weren't you further south?"

"I sort of wandered North a little bit."

"Thank god we came just in the nick of time." Mary remarks.

"Dammit!" Parsons remarks. "I think the little one scooted off."

"What little one?" Ramirez pretends to ask.

"That little Utahdon who snuck into our settlement."

"I guess I am to blame now, huh?"

"Heh, forget it kid." He pats the boy on the back. "Better letting it go than watching a crack shot die."

 **Yeah yeah, call me a liar all you want. At least it was a white lie, one which helped Florence escape what could possibly be a hot and steamy end. I helped save a life by lying, unlike my parents who lied to continue an antiquated tradition. Anywho, mama and papa accepted the explanation I gave and that was the end of that. My friendship with Florence was not discovered and they never bothered to follow up on the case since the slaughter of a Utahraptor pack gave the whole damn community enough meat to last for more than a few months with extras they could trade on the free market.**

 **All in all it was a win win for everyone. Florence got away, I and the rest of my fellow humans got to enjoy a byproduct of our defensive action; juicy Utahraptor meat.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"I've found her!" Peter shouted as he kept his shotgun pointed at Florence's head.

Earlier that day, the young Utahdon had gone into town to find her friend but ended up being spotted by the settlers. A short goose chase later and they found her hiding behind one of the dumpsters in a back alley. This time Ramirez was not around to intervene on the situation. He had gone out to the forest and when he failed to find her had gone off to do serious hunting. All in all it was just a small matter right? Once the boy returned she should be able to return, no?

Well apparently not. Because the McClemont family, which always participated in security operations of the settlement, was absent. While everyone knew their only son was out hunting, they were puzzled as to why the two adults did not assist in the search. Parsons and Mary both volunteered to investigate the house and when they arrived, they found the door ajar. It had been broken into and there were several bullet holes along with the body of a dead Utahdon.

Due to the unwieldy nature of their long guns in tight spaces, Parsons and Mary drew their pistols and began sweeping through the corridors. At the stairs they find a horrifying sight; the badly mutilated body of Samuel McClemont. Most of the flesh had been ripped off his back and the revolver he still held in his hand was empty. This was most likely where he had his last stand against the invaders.

"You check the ground floor." Parsons takes the late Samuel's second revolver, which was still holstered, and pulls the hammer back. "I'll go up top."

"Why are you using a dead man's gun?" Mary asks.

"Six shots is always better than one."

The two split up and continued their search. Mary quickly concludes her sweep of the ground floor; there was absolutely nothing. On the second floor, Parsons finds a blood trail and cautiously follow it. A faint growling noise seemed to come from the master bedroom and the man feared the worst. He quickly kicks down the door and shoots the Utahdon in the room before it could react, killing the Theropod instantly. Another one appears from the master toilet but Parsons was ready.

One shot was all he took and the round went right through his target's head. He moves into the room and peeks into the toilet. When he did, he nearly fainted. Next to the toilet bowl was Aurinda. Her body was sprawled on the floor and the flintlock still held in her right hand was unfired, suggesting that she was unable to defend herself before being killed. And guess what? Everyone placed the death of Ramirez's parents on his dinosaur friend Florence.

 **They brought me terrible news when I returned home from my hunt. Preserving bags filled with meat, I expected a warm hug from mama before joining papa in the porch for a quiet reading session enhanced by his wonderful and soothing guitar tunes. What I got instead was Mary giving me a very tight hug, one which nearly choked me. Tears were flowing from her eyes and she was sobbing uncontrollably.**

 **"** **Ramirez forgive me, I do not know of a better way to put this." She said. "But your father and mother are dead. They were killed by a small pack of intruding Utahdons."**

 **My eyes widened in shock and my feet gave way. I fell onto my knees and moments later, emotions hit me like a ton of bricks. God knows how long I cried, but it was very long. Parsons told me they have captured a young Utahdon whom they claimed was responsible for scouting out my house but I didn't believe a single darn word they said. Heck, I didn't even bother to listen to him. I sat down on the stairs in my front porch, ignoring everyone who came to offer their condolences.**

 **No one got any response from me until they decided to parade Florence right in front of my house.**

The "posse" of settlers who stopped in front of Ramirez' house had the young Utahdon they captured tied onto a large log. Everyone believed she was the one who scouted out his residence and they wanted Ramirez to be the judge. Essentially they were giving him the power over someone's fate. What the boy said however had everyone in shock. Instead of asking for a brutal punishment to be carried out, he asks for the posse to release their captive.

Naturally the settlement leader was the first to voice his objection and he reminded Ramirez of the fact that Florence was responsible for the death of of his parents. When that didn't work, he decides he would hold the youngling hostage so he could exert his own revenge. In exchange for their youngling, the Utahdon pack would have to send five of its members over to be slaughtered. That was the blood price placed on the young female.

Gut instincts told Ramirez the ransom would not be paid, at least in the short term, and he decides to take charge of the captive himself. This the leader agreed to, believing she would live a life of terror and hardship under him. Once the cleanup was done, Ramirez reentered the house with his friend and sat down in the living room, not bothering to say anything. Florence sat down in the couch opposite his, silently awaiting what she thought was a verbal beating followed by actual beating.

The expression on his face only served to reinforce her belief.

"If you think I blame you, I don't." His expression softened and the frown on his face turned into a smile. "Bigotry has to go eventually and it starts here."

"But I-"

"Come on, you can't possibly think you're responsible."

"So you don't believe I am to blame?"

"People here have been saying nonsense ever since I was born! Of course not!" He slumps back into the couch. "Come on up here, I think I need a really long hug."

Florence knew her friend had saved her from possible death and knew she would forever be in his debt. She also liked the idea of a snuggle, given the fact that the weather was rather cold today. So she leapt onto the couch and allowed her friend to wrap his elbow around her. Together they just sat there embracing each other till they subconsciously dozed off.

 **Even though I was now an orphan, I didn't feel alone. Florence, my Utahdon pal and only friend, was once again by my side when I needed someone the most. If she hadn't been around, I would've probably shot myself once Parsons and Mary had left the house. My lord, may you allow mama and papa to rest in peace. If you would allow, I'd want them to see how dinosaurs aren't as mindless as they claimed and that I knew they were lying the whole time.**

Day by day, Ramirez and Florence grew. Though the settlers were clueless as to why the orphaned child would treat the one they claimed was responsible for the death of his parents with such hospitality. Instead of locking her in the cage, he allowed her to move freely throughout the house. She could access the fridge with his permission and they shared the master bedroom together. Ramirez' old bedroom was converted into a firearms storage and workshop, allowing the gun room below to be converted to a storeroom.

Though he didn't want to make her do anything, Florence' constant nagging meant she was tasked with making the home while her human friend hunted dinosaurs in the wild. Dinosaur meat was still as valuable as ever and with the number of tins containing silver mint piling up, the boy and his dinosaur friend became the wealthiest in the settlement. They could buy many things like the newly released Remington Rolling Block which became Ramirez' new hunting rifle.

He also got his hands on a Smith & Wesson Model 3 revolver when it was released two days after his seventeenth birthday. Due to its prohibitive cost, only very few people could afford the Model 3 even back home and here in the settlement, Ramirez was the only one who picked one up from the traders when they passed by along with a twenty boxes of ammunition. Compared to his fellow brethren, the teenager was better armed than everyone else and had enough firepower to take on the entire settlement if he barricaded himself in.

Knowing he had such capability, no one dared to question his decision about the hospitality he granted to Florence, who was also now a teenager. Only Mary bothered to question his logic and the answer she received was almost always the same.

"Drop the old bigoted beliefs, you don't have proof she did it."

Still, the Utahdon was still technically a captive and that meant she could only wander around Ramirez's house at will. Frankly speaking, she was more an individual on house arrest than an actual hostage. Just like her friend's gut instincts predicted, her pack did not swap five of their own for one youngling. Technically you could say that was a bad thing but in reality, it's a good thing. Thanks to Ramirez' hospitality, Florence actually lived a better life here than she did back home with her pack.

"Y'know, I'm starting to like it here." She remarks. "It doesn't matter if it rains or shines, I get to sleep in a comfy bed."

"Heh, your parents probably miss you." Ramirez reminds. "Don't forget, they are the ones who raised you up."

"Yeah but they are nothing more than bigoted old farts."

"Just like my old folks."

"Uh huh… No offense, really."

"None taken." He smiles. "But at least I had respect for them, didn't I?"

"Yeah."

"You should have some respect for your parents at least. Even though they are a bunch of bigoted old farts."

Just like every other time she felt she did something wrong, Florence looks away with guilt. This was starting to become a trademark move, one which Ramirez found somewhat cute. Here was a female Utahdon who was just two years his junior and one of the most ferocious predators ever known to man, looking away with a guilty face because she felt she did something wrong. He could not help but let out a grin while shaking his head.

"Don't pull that face on me, you didn't offend me." He laughs. "Just remember, if you do somehow return to your pack, treat your parents with respect. Okay?"

"Okay…" She muttered in a "feel bad" voice.

"Come on now, cheer up."

Ramirez wraps his right hand around his friend's waist, something he had never done before. His eyes however remain fixated on the pages of the book he held in his left hand. Florence looks up at her friend and smiles, hoping he would notice her gesture.

He didn't or at least didn't bother to react.

 **I don't know what's up with Florence lately. First she licked me when I climbed into bed to doze off and now she was making funny faces. No, don't even think about it. Interspecies relationships is taboo to both humans and dinosaurs. Friendship? Fine. Marrying and having children? Nope, that's going way too far. Maybe Florence thinks differently, I don't know. What I do know is, marrying isn't an option for us. So what if we tie the knot?**

 **My sperm won't fertilize whatever's the dinosaurs' version of ovum is. Sure, I can pleasure myself whenever I want but what's the point of it all when you won't get children at the end? Besides, Florence would probably push me away when she realizes this. There's really no point trying.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **That was the last straw, for them at least. Realizing he would not be able to hold onto his hostage without suffering further sneak attacks like these, the leader issued an order for me to release Florence back into the wild. Why didn't you let her go before? Why now? Why do it after she got used to the luxuries of human life? Sometimes I really wonder what in god's name is wrong with our rulers' minds. Take example the former leader of my home country France; Napoleon Bonaparte.**

 **Even when he knew a coalition of Elysian nations would rise against him, he escaped exile and regained power before proceeding to fight off the Prussians and engage the English in the Battle of Waterloo, which he lost because the remnants of the Prussian Force returned. Well, that, cunning tactical decisions from the English, and errors he and his staff made. Still my point stands. Why in heaven's name would we have leaders like those rise to power?**

Knowing he was nothing more than a dinosaur hunter, Ramirez could do nothing to cancel out the settlement leader's rule. And frankly speaking, he was getting tired of all the bigoted nonsense here. Every day he went into the market, Mary would ask why he didn't get rid of his dinosaur pal already and every so often, someone would come by and tell him why he shouldn't show Florence so much hospitality. All this hatred and racism towards dinosaurs had gotten to him.

Why couldn't they all just live in peace? They were on par in terms of sentiency and intelligence after all.

There was only one place he could go if he wanted to escape all the BS here and that was the mythical Great Valley. His parents have told him stories about the valley many times but they, like many others both dinosaurs and humans alike, dismissed them as nothing more than myths because those who went never returned and there was no living proof about its existence. But for Ramirez, this was the only hope he had left if he and Florence were to continue living together.

And honestly speaking, neither wanted to separate from the other. Ever since their first encounter during childhood, the two were inseparable, which is why Ramirez chose to take his friend in when she was taken hostage by the local rulers for trespassing. Even though he would ditch the comfort and luxuries of life here, the teenager would rather sleep unprotected from the rain than live with a bunch of old farts with traditional beliefs about how racism towards dinosaurs should exist.

He stuffs as many tins of silver mint as he could into his backpack along with essentials like canned meat for emergency purposes, two canteens of water for hydration, basic medicine, a book about medicine, and a basic first aid kit. All the ammunition for his revolver would be kept in his hunting vest and sling bag(in boxes)while rifle ammunition would be kept on his belt, on a special bullet holder on his rifle sling, and in boxes of twenty in his sling bag.

Anything which he couldn't take he gave permission for the leader to distribute to everyone in the settlement. As far as he knew, the path he and Florence would take to the Great Valley would intersect with several trade routes and here, the silver mint he carried would come in handy. Ten of these were kept in a coin wallet in his left pocket for quick access whenever he stopped to purchase what he needed from the wandering traders.

"Where are we going?" Florence asked.

"The Great Valley." He answers. "Of course if you wish not to follow me, you may go home to your family. I will not hold you back."

"Nonsense, Ramirez. You've been there when I needed you. Let me be there when you need me."

"Sure you won't miss your family?"

"Who doesn't miss their family?" She smiles. "But think of it this way. If I come with you, not only will you have company but I too would be able to see for myself if that mythical valley really exists."

"Sir Ashley McClemont has already located the valley, it's not a myth. People call it a myth as he was never heard from again after his final letter was sent home."

"Well, isn't that solid proof?"

"Apparently many believed he wrote it on the verge of death and wanted people to think he died a noble death."

"But you believe him."

"I do." He looks her right in the eye. "Because Ashley was my grandfather."

And just like that, two teenagers; one human, one dinosaur; one male, one female; both having broken the walls of segregation more than once, set off on their journey. Before they left, the leader of the settlement caught up with them at the gates in a final bid to persuade his best shot to stay. But nothing he said could change his mind. Ramirez was done with all the racism happening here. All he wanted was to live in peace and hunt dinosaurs, making ends meet by trading with the wandering traders.

 **Both of us knew it would be a long and perilous journey, yet neither of us were willing to back down. Like humans, many dinosaurs have embarked on this journey before us and many never to return. Some say they were eaten by predators along the way, others claim a mysterious force abducted them and took them to a different realm. My gut told me the second claim was bogus and nothing more than a bunch of crap cooked up by overly superstitious folks who did not accept science.**

 **Predators? Yeah, those were a very real threat. But hey, that was the reason why I carried three guns in the first place, right? I had my rifle for hunting and shooting at long range targets, I had my Smith & Wesson Model 3 for personal protection and of course, I had a backup Colt 1849 revolver in my backpack. We kept walking during the daylight, helping each other over tough terrain and when predators attacked, we fought them off with teamwork. **

**Food was never a big issue for us since there were many dinosaurs on the road and both of us could survive on a meaty diet. When night fell only did we stop and even then, we never really had any rest. Out here in the wild, both of us knew predators roamed free and were kings. In the settlement, we were deep sleepers but out here, we could be jolted awake by a fallen leaf.**

Just the tingling feel of a brown leaf on his face was enough to jolt Ramirez awake from his sleep. Like a threatened cowboy, he draws his revolver and pulls the hammer back, scanning the area carefully from left to right to make sure there weren't any predators lurking in the foliage. Though he knew a leaf had awoken him and he could see nothing, something told him there was more than one creature watching him and his still snoozing friend.

Cautiously, the boy got onto his feet and crouch-walked towards a patch of tall grass, following his gut instincts. As he got closer, he could make out two shapes just beyond the green. His instincts were right; there were creatures eyeballing him from behind concealment. He raises his gun in the air and fires a warning shot before pointing it back at the brush.

"I can see you." He said as he put his thumb on the hammer of his revolver. "There's five shots and two of you."

"Don't shoot, please." A male Troodon got onto his feet. "I-I mean no harm."

"You're a Troodon, how can I trust you?"

"Uhm… Uhh…"

"Uhh what? No answer?

All of a sudden, the Troodon began communicating in hisses and grunts, puzzling Ramirez at first. When he saw that his friend was standing right next to him, he understood why there was a sudden switch of languages.

"He says he's leading a band of his own and isn't too good in human talk." Florence translated. "Or as you call it, English."

"So, I guess-"

Yet again, another surprise was unleashed when another female Utahdon jumped out from a nearby brush and charged towards Ramirez. When she saw the gun swinging in her direction however, she screamed and dove for a bush instead. Ramirez was dumbfounded when he saw what happened. As for Florence, well she fell onto the ground laughing with amusement. This was the first time she ever saw a member of her own kind succumb to their fear of humans.

Everyone she met in her pack could and did take on humans, even if they were afraid of being shot. This Utahdon however, not so much. Even the Troodon who was nearly shot by her human friend couldn't help but chuckle slightly. Eventually even Ramirez laughed and they all shared a light moment together. What a great first encounter eh?

"What in the hell was that?" The boy snickered as he holsters his revolver. "Roar, Ahh! Plonk!"

"I didn't know my kind had these types too." Florence laughs.

"What's so funny, huh?" The other Utahdon pops up from the bush. "I was just practicing my evasive moves."

"You can't dodge a speeding bullet, you idiot."

"Yes I can."

"Wanna try?" Ramirez reaches for his revolver.

"N-No! Not really!"

"Good."

 **What sort of journey would be complete if we didn't make friends with someone along the way? That Troodon who had a very limited fluency in English managed to introduce himself as Ace with Florence' help while the Utahdon who dive-bombed into a bush was Elise. Once they introduced themselves, the two took us to meet up with the rest of their group. It wasn't a terribly large group but it had more than one member; Red the disgraced Utahraptor Alpha, Justina the Saurolophus and her husband Justin, their four children, and Ron the Magyarosaurus.**

 **They were all friendly individuals, though Elise's sometimes arrogant attitude could and did get on my nerves every now and then.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **Though there was still daylight by the time our new pals have finished introducing themselves, Florence and I now had to follow the majority and everyone seemed like they wanted to stay here at the oasis. So we settled down and snoozed through the night, dreaming about the usual things we dreamed of. Despite the fact that we were now travelling in a much larger group, I was still a very light sleeper and leaves would still wake me up if they fell on me.**

 **My jumpy instincts saved our lives minutes after dawn broke. Some water had splashed onto my face(I had been sleeping near the river the night before)and woke me up from my sleep. Almost immediately I heard the sound of rustling foliage which was accompanied by a faint growl. Reacting as fast as I could, I drew my revolver and got onto my feet just as a pack of Theropods attacked us.**

 _BANG_

The gunshot awakes everyone from their peaceful slumber and when they heard the growls and snarls, they knew they had come under attack by a pack of predatory dinosaurs. Florence was the first to jump into the fray and she joined up with her human friend just as he ran out of ammunition for his Smith & Wesson Model 3. Given the fact that they were closing in at such speeds, he knew there was no time to reload and drew the same intimidating looking Bowie knife.

Ace ran out of the bush to join them, followed by the rest of his followers. They all came just in time to witness Ramirez demonstrate his brutal efficiency with the blade. The first Theropod which came at him had its carotid artery sliced open, causing blood to spray all over the place. Its buddy tried to become the avenger but was also killed when Ramirez sent his blade right into the predator's neck. Florence stepped back from the fray, realizing her friend really didn't need her help.

Even when faced with overwhelming odds, he still held his own and judging by the amount of attackers he killed, he was coming out on top. One of the Theropods tries to tackle him from behind but Ramirez flips it over before it could get a good grip and pinned the bastard under the water before finishing his job with his blade. By now the surviving predators have decided that it would be unwise to attack the human and decide to focus their attention on his dinosaur comrades.

"Flankers!" Justina shouts. "They're coming in from the right!"

Being the leader of the group, Ace immediately swung round and charged towards the Theropod pack with Red following close behind. Florence also joins in the fray and runs after the two while her human friend unslung his rifle. Oddly, despite being a Utahdon herself, Elise did not participate in the fight. Well she did charge ahead along with Florence but that was because of her very massive ego. Once she got close however, she dove behind a pair of boulders and watched on while her comrades did the fighting.

 _BANG_

Ramirez pulls the hammer back and opens the chamber of his Remington Rolling Block to eject the spent shell before loading a fresh one in. One of the Theropods which had been charging towards Florence, Red, and Ace had been shot, though no one seemed to realize that.

 _BANG_

Second shot fired, and this time someone did notice. Florence had just finished off one of the Theropods when she saw another charging towards her. However before she could even begin charging towards it, a bullet ripped through the beast's head and killed it instantly. Seconds later, another Theropod was also shot down while charging at full speed. This was a feat which reminded her of an incident which happened twelve years ago, an incident where her brother perished.

Like two of his comrades, he had been shot while charging at full gallop. Was Ramirez, her longtime human friend and companion, the young boy who shot her brother? Florence couldn't help but think about it. The battle provided enough a distraction to let her keep her mind off it but it was momentary. As soon as it ended, the thoughts came back and now she couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Fifteen dead Theropods." Ramirez remarks. "Question is, what sort of Theropods are they? Definitely mixed but not Utahdon."

"Probably a new breed no one has discovered." Ace answers.

"Perhaps."

"Ramirez." Florence spoke. "Were you the one who-"

"I'd say we get moving, human."

"Yeah, let's get out of here before more of them come."

Her first attempt thwarted but while Ramirez seemed like he failed to notice his friend, he did actually hear what she was about to ask. At first he was curious about what her full question was but based on gut instinct, logic, and the fact that she mentioned her brother had been shot while running at full gallop, he realized one of those shots he took back when he was five had killed his friend's brother. Worse still, she probably figured it all out when he shot those two Theropods down while they were on the move.

It was a truth he wished not to tell her but something he knew could not be hidden for long. As they continued on their long journey through the unforgiving wilderness, Ace could tell the human had some burdens he wished to rid himself of.

"You have secret to tell?" He asked.

"Some things are best left untold." Ramirez answers. "Unless you're willing to keep it and not tell anyone."

"I promise."

Ramirez whispers his secret to Ace and in an instant, his eyes widened in shock. He turns towards the human, realizing what it would mean for him if the secret ever got out. The Troodon gives a nod, reassuring his friend that his secrets would be safe with him.

 **True friends are really hard to come by these days. Many of the so called "friends" we meet along the way only want to be friends with us when we are happy, jolly, and cheerful. If we suffer something terrible, they are the first ones to go. Sadly, most of our friends are these types but fortunately for me, I've made two true friends. First it was Florence and now Ace. Yup, the same bugger I nearly shot is now my pal.**

 **Right now my biggest concern is staying friends with one of my true friends. Back then I had no idea I killed Florence's brother but now knowing the fact, guilt has been weighing me down. The truth is something we can hide but not something we can hide permanently. No matter what we do, no matter what we try, it will come out eventually. And the longer you wait, the greater the chances of that someone you lied to coming back to get you.**

 **But I can't possibly go and tell Florence "Hey, I killed your brother. Sorry about that.". She'd fucking kill me or at least run off and never give me the chance to reconcile ever again. Honestly I don't want to lose her… Or Ace… Or any one of my true friends for that matter.**

By some miracle, Ramirez somehow manages to avoid being asked the question again throughout their long walk through the wilderness. As the sun slowly sets over the western horizon, the group was now trying to find a new place to settle down for the night. Just the feeling of having to stop and rest gave Ramirez anxiety, not because he feared the predators but because there was a good chance his friend might remember and ask him.

And this time, he might not have Ace to come to his aid and cut off the conversation.

"Here seems like a good spot!" Ace shouts. "We settle down and set off before dawn tomorrow."

Everyone spread out and went about finding a suitable place to rest for the night. Florence found her friend sitting alone underneath a dried tree. She could see he was thinking about something. Her gut told her he was dreading her question about whether or not he killed her brother and she decides not to press him on the matter, at least for tonight. Ramirez had prepared himself when he saw his friend and was honestly surprised when she did not bother to ask him about anything related to that day.

Instead she snuggles next to him and allows her friend to wrap his right arm around her body. Her head soon slumped onto his arm and her jaws opened slightly as she dozed off to dreamland. Ramirez waited for a few seconds and when he was absolutely sure no one was watching, he kissed Florence on the left cheek and quickly pulled his head away.

 **Hmph, maybe interspecies relationships might not be a bad idea after all. Florence clearly showed she was falling for me earlier and now I'm falling for her. Come to think of it, I myself also have some antiquated beliefs to get rid of. I could accept interspecies cooperation, coexistence, and friendship. Why couldn't I go one step further and add interspecies relationships and marriage? It seems only logical that members the most sentient of beings which would live together in harmony would eventually fall for one another.**

 **And to be honest, Florence was kind of a cute girl in a way. Whenever she got mad, she always resembled a small child throwing a tantrum and the guilty face she kept pulling whenever she did something she wasn't supposed to was just… Well it was cute. And I like cute girls. Their smiles; their laughs, it just melts my heart. Oh, and how can I forget that one time when she stuck a tongue out and blew a raspberry when she pranked me.**

 **But now I face a great dilemma. Because if I truthfully answered her questions, she would most likely run off and I would never see her again.**

The sun finally rose over the horizon, signalling the beginning of a brand new day. Ramirez was the first to wake up and when he did, he realized his right hand was completely drenched in drool. Though he knew his hand would smell like predator breath until he could clean it off, he didn't care. Here was a friend of his sleeping soundly in his arms, comforted by his presence, warmed by his body heat. It was because of him that she could sleep soundly.

Of course, when Florence woke up. She instantly felt guilty for the mess she created and once more, pulled a guilty face and looked away. Except when she turned she smacked right into her friend's hand which was covered in her drool.

"Maybe you should watch where you turn next time." He chuckles. "I take that you slept well last night."

"Very." She answers.

"The others are still asleep. If you want, I can always bag something for breakfast."

"No, I'm not in the mood." Florence turns towards her friend. "Ramirez, I've been meaning to ask for a long time."

"What is it?"

"Did you kill my brother? I'm not trying to offend you or anything but-"

"I did."

"What?"

"I DID!" Ramirez sighs. "I shot him while he was charging towards Parsons."

The dreaded question had come and he had answered truthfully. Florence was shocked by the revelation. Her instincts have been right all along; her human friend was indeed responsible for the death of her brother. To Ramirez' horror, his worst fears quickly came through after he confessed. His friend pushed him aside and snarled with hostility, forcing him to move away. There was a mixed feeling of fear, disappointment, and sadness within him.

Despite the fact that the threat of being attacked by the Utahdon was very real, he kept his right hand clear of his holster. If she wanted to take his life then let her be. He didn't really feel like living in the world anymore, not without her in his life. Instead of attacking her friend however, Florence turns around and begins running.

"Florence! No!" The human shouted.

Having scouted the area the night before, Ramirez knew his friend was running right towards a very dangerous river. It wasn't terribly wide or long but the currents were extremely strong. And at the end was a deep pool where water was forced under into a series of underground water channels. If one fell into the pool, there was no hope for rescue, not unless whoever pulled them up had superhuman strength or extra manpower at their disposal.

Unfortunately for him, his friend ignored his repeated pleas to stop and kept on running. Just like when they were kids, the two chased one another through the wilderness and shouts could be heard throughout the immediate area. Unlike back then however, only one of them was shouting and one was actually running away in disgust and anger of the fact that she made friends with the other. Ramirez knew he could not catch up to a Theropod dinosaur but he kept running.

So long as she was in his sights, he would be able to help her in case she fell into any sort of danger.

"Go away!" Florence snarls as she looks back at her friend. "Stop following me or I'll-"

 _SPLASH_

Running with her eyes facing in the completely opposite direction, Florence failed to see the danger ahead of her and fell into the dangerous currents of the river. Fortunately for her, Ramirez had seen her fall in and rushed over to her aid. He manages to grab ahold of her just as she was sucked under the pool and he pulls her back to the surface. Trouble was, the suction created by the water being dragged under was so great that he was struggling to pull her out.

Worse still, it looked like he too would be dragged in by the currents. Yet again, Florence had dragged her friend into a messy situation. This time she didn't pull a guilty face, mostly because there wasn't any time to do so. Her head was barely above the surface and if she turned, her whole snout would be under.

"You're getting dragged in!" She shouts, her voice mixed in with bubbles as her head wasn't fully out of the water.

"Just hang on!" He shouts back. "I'll pull you out."

"There's too much suction, you'll get dragged in if you don't let go!"

"I'm not letting go, not if it means living the rest of my life without you!"

For a moment, everything around her began to slow down. Did her friend just admit that he had feelings for her? She looks at him, feeling a mixture of anger, happiness, and sorrow. Why did it have to end like this?

"I had feelings for you since a long time ago." She smiles. "But you can't let that feeling overcome your logic! I want you to live!"

"I'm not letting go, Florence!" Ramirez said firmly. "If we live we live together, if we die we die together!"

Her words unable to move her friend, Florence had no choice but to resort to the one tactic she knew would work. She turns her head to the left and clamps down on his right arm, causing him to react to the pain and release her.

"FLORENCE!" Ramirez shouted. "FLORENCE! NOOOOOOO!"

In an instant, the last individual he held onto was gone. Florence, the Utahdon who like him broke through the barriers of segregation, slipped beneath the surface and disappeared into the flooded underwater tunnels. With no air, she would certainly drown down there in that deep dark cold wet place. Ace and the others were soon on the scene, having heard the human's scream. By the time they've arrived, he was sitting next to a large boulder with his back placed against it.

Justina and her husband were kind enough to bring along his backpack and they placed it down next to him along with everything else which belonged to him, including his Remington Rolling Block rifle.

"Ramirez?" Ace approaches his friend.

"Florence… Why…" He muttered, tears streaming from both his eyes. "Why did you have to take her away from me?"

 **She was the last thing I held onto, a final glimmer of light which gave me hope in the darkness which shrouded me when my parents passed. That day I lost more than just a friend; I lost my purpose in life. No matter what Ace and his followers tried, they could not motivate me to continue. I didn't even want to leave that rock. Elise made the whole situation worse by claiming she could be Florence's substitute. Her? A substitute?**

 **I punched her right in the face and darn near drew my gun. No one could replace Florence, especially not her. She was an arrogant coward and had a worse bite than bark. There was also no flair about her. She didn't have the cute acts which would melt my heart, nor did she have a sincere heart. In my eyes, Elise was nothing more than a Utahdon wearing a fake shell; no better than the bigoted old farts of my settlement.**

 **Unable to get me to leave with them, Ace makes the decision to leave me behind. This was a move I appreciated during that particular moment. All I could think of was Florence and truth be told, I would've asked them to leave me behind anyways if they lingered on.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **God knows how long I sat there but one thing's for sure, it was a very long time. By the time I got up, the sun was already high over the horizon. I started walking in the direction of the Great Valley once more, alone of course since Florence was gone and everyone else had decided to leave me behind. Even though I was finally on the move again, the thought of Florence never left me. No matter what I did, no matter what obstacle I had to overcome, she lingered on in my thoughts.**

 **My head was no longer held up high and my face was pointed in the direction of the ground. Every so often I would stop, sit down, and cry as those horrific moments flashed over and over again in my head.**

Under the scorching sun, Ramirez walked. He had just passed one of the landmarks which would take him to the Great Valley; a monolith which was shaped like a Sauropod. That being said, he was more an aimless wanderer than actual traveller. His head was hung low and he didn't seem too bothered with checking the area for predators. All he did was follow the sun and as it began setting on the western horizon. There were no divine beings to guide him along the way.

The only thing accompanying him on the long journey which provided some form of companionship was his trusty rifle. Slung on his shoulder, it gave him the feeling of security and a sense of fearlessness. Eventually the teenager came upon a tall rocky mountain which he proceeded to climb. It was a daunting task. Unlike mountains he had hiked up in the past, this one had no manmade path. Ramirez had to pull himself up using the rocks and he had to do so while carrying a heavy rifle and backpack.

With each step, Ramirez could feel he was getting closer to the Great Valley. Maybe this journey might be worth it after all, he thought, somehow managing to put the thought of Florence out of his mind in that brief period of time. It's definitely at the top of this peak, he could feel it. A sandstorm occurred when he reached the top, masking his view of the world below. This only gave him hope. The heavens must certainly be keeping the surprise until the very end.

Unfortunately for him, the Great Valley was not there to greet him when the sandstorm lifted. Right in front was not the lush greenery that Sir Ashley McClemont described but desolate wasteland. Among the whole lot of nothingness, a brownish tent stood out amongst the rocks and Ramirez immediately slides down the other side of the cliff to investigate. It was that of an older design, one not used ever since he was ten years old. Could this be an artifact from his grandfather's expedition?

Curiously he peeked inside the tent and found a decaying blanket along with a small diary. The owner's writings have faded slightly but he could still see the words clearly on the yellowed pages. This diary did not belong to his grandfather but to a member of the expedition who was apparently left behind. On the last entry, Ramirez found something extremely chilling. Blood had somehow been splashed onto the page the final entry was written along with the adjacent page.

 _To whoever finds this diary,_

 _If you wish to continue onwards towards the Great Valley, I have no power or will to stop you. But I must warn you beforehand that there are many beasts more powerful than Utahdons. There is a new breed of dinosaurs which are smarter and more intelligent than our present nemesis. Based on those I and the rest of Sir Ashley's band of explorers have studied, we all conclude that these new Theropod dinosaurs have the knowhow to begin an advanced civilization, one which could wipe all of mankind off the face of North Cretaceous._

 _My colleagues have left me behind as per my request. The wounds suffered from the great battle we fought with the beasts during the ambush are simply too much for me to continue. Sir Ashley and the rest of the explorers have gone ahead to find the Great Valley. I might never know if the mythical valley exists or not but what I do know is that my days are numbered._

 _Fellow adventurer I plead with you. Tread carefully and be on the lookout for the beasts if you so choose to continue on._

 _Bergman Klaus  
Chief Medical Officer of the McClemont Expedition_

From the last entry, Ramirez deduced that his grandfather being attacked by a large pack of these more intelligent and advanced Theropods was a very real possibility; one which probably caused him to write the letter and send it back by carrier pigeon after he was mortally wounded in battle and left to die. It was the most logical explanation and the most plausible one since carrier pigeons sent by Ashley McClemont usually flew to the messenger stations and it was the messengers who would bring the letters back on horseback.

When the "Great Valley Letter" was sent home to the settlement, the pigeon flew directly to the leader's headquarters instead of flying to the messenger's post. Once again, that tiny glimmer of hope he found was dashed. He had come all this way and lost one of the few friends he had in a freak accident only to discover his grandfather might not have even discovered the mythical valley at all. Sure, Sir Ashley's body might not have been found but the diary of his Chief Medical Officer seems to suggest that his fellow humans at the settlement were right about him sending a fake letter.

 **That diary entry was the last thing I needed to see. My biggest glimmer of hope in the unrelenting darkness of the world I was thrown into after the death of my parents had been swept away by the currents. Now with Dr. Bergman Klaus' final diary entry serving to reinforce the belief of those in the settlement I once lived in, I felt like an idiot for undertaking what could only be described as a useless journey. All the sacrifices I made and that heroic bite Florence delivered…**

 **All of it for NOTHING!**

 **My legs gave way once I finished reading his diary and I began sobbing uncontrollably. So much I've lost yet I've gained nothing for it. At that point I was ready to accept my fate. I put my bags down and set my rifle aside. Then I pulled my revolver out.**

The automatic ejector worked just like it did on every other occasion, kicking the cases out from the cylinder. Unlike previous occasions, these cases were still unfired and live. Ramirez takes one of the ejected cartridges from the tent floor and loads it into the cylinder of his revolver before snapping it shut. He puts the hammer on half-cock and spins the cylinder six times as there were six individual chambers in that cylinder. Once he did the six, he pulls the hammer back and places the gun against his forehead.

 _CLICK_

Empty chamber on the first try. Ramirez had lucked out from death, but the teenager wasn't here to test his luck. He wanted to end his life and wanted to see how many times he would have to repeat the process before the hammer finally struck the cartridge and blew his brains out.

 _CLICK_

Again, another empty chamber. Already feeling he had no purpose in life, the teenager was more than determined to end his life here and now. He spins the cylinder six more times and placed the muzzle against his head after pulling the hammer back.

"Stop!" A motherly voice shouted.

Surprised that someone was actually in the tent with him, Ramirez lowers his gun and opens his eyes. To his shock, a female Utahdon stood just outside the tent. She was a lot older than Florence or Elise and judging by her voice, a mother too. Well, a former mother would be a more precise way of describing her as he would find out soon enough.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asks gently as she entered the tent.

"Eliminating an unwanted being from the Earth." The teenager said gloomily.

"Now there, how can you be an unwanted creature?"

"My parents are dead, my friend Florence has drowned, and now I've just discovered the Great Valley might've been nothing more than a myth. I have no purpose in life! Not anymore! Just end me, please…"

Ramirez closed his eyes, fully expecting the motherly sounding Utahdon to grant him his final wish. What he got instead was an affectionate hug. It didn't feel like a hug a friend could give but one only mothers could. The hug reminded him of his late mother and that brought tears to his eyes. The female Utahdon pulled Ramirez closer to her and and nuzzled him on the cheek, just like she did to her kids when they were around.

"Point your gun towards the tent entrance." She said.

"Okay…" Though confused, Ramirez complies.

"Now fire."

 _BANG_

"If I hadn't stopped you, you would've been dead."

The teenager was felt a sense of remorse when he heard the gun go off. Though he hadn't shot himself, he was unknowingly feeling the same feeling those who failed in their suicide attempts felt. He sat there, not saying anything as he loaded the remaining cartridges on the ground back into his revolver and holstered it.

"I'm Kate." The Utahdon introduced herself. "What's your name?"

"McClemont, Ramirez McClemont." He answers. "Just call me Ramirez."

"Pleased to meet you, Ramirez."

 **Ah, finally some good news. Before I met Kate, I never thought it would be possible for a Utahdon or human to ignore their parents' obsolete and racist teachings throughout their childhood. Once again I realized we could achieve great things if we chose to ignore the narrow minded beliefs of our forefathers. Kate gave me a new glimmer of hope; a new cause to live and fight for. I began to realize while Florence was gone, her spirit still lives on within me.**

 **That flame of rebellion against antiquated teachings; against antiquated culture; against antiquated treatment of our equally intelligent counterparts. It lives on within me and it lives on within Kate. It's a good thing we met up with one another because she and I were on the verge of quitting. Her husband, who surprisingly was actually a human, had gone missing when he joined my grandfather's expedition, forcing her to raise her two little ones alone.**

 **Both were killed when their pack was attacked by the same unidentified Theropod species mentioned in Dr. Bergman's book. The death of her children affected her greatly, eventually making her wander away from her pack. Just like me, she wandered and wandered aimlessly in the wildlands, somehow drawn in the direction of the Great Valley like I am.**

 **And now here we are, resting in the same tent together. That night before we slept she told me she would adopt me to give me all the motherly love I missed out on when my own mother died while I was eight years old.**

 **It was a night I would never forget; a night when man and sentient beast found common ground and chose to help one another.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **At the crack of dawn, the rays of the sunlight which shone through the tent entrance woke me up from my peaceful slumber. Oddly, I didn't feel like I was being cuddled like I was the night before and when I looked around, I realized Kate was no longer with me. Where on Earth did she go?**

Ramirez crawled out of the tent and got back onto his feet. His adoptive mother was still nowhere to be found and it seems as though she had left him after promising to look after him the night before. But Kate wasn't a promise breaker. If she said she would care for him, she would. The only reason she wasn't near the tent was because she had climbed up the ridge to scan the horizon and get her bearings before she and her adoptive son began their journey towards the Great Valley.

The teenaged boy grabs his rifle and slings his bag onto his back, having spotted Kate's silhouette in the distance. With an old explorer's hat he found inside the tent on his head, he joins up with his adoptive mother on the ridgeline. Together they scanned the horizon; one getting their bearings and the other checking for signs of predators on the prowl.

"For a second I thought you left me." Ramirez said.

"I never break my promises." She smiles. "I just didn't want us to get lost."

"Yeah." He scans the horizon with the aid of Bergman's binoculars. "No movement. We're clear."

"You sure it's a good idea to take a dead man's belongings?"

"I'm sure Dr. Bergman would not mind if a fellow explorer took the equipment he abandoned for the same purposes he used them for."

"Good point."

"Who's taking lead? You or me?"

"Why don't you lead the way, Ramirez McClemont?"

Looks like somebody figured out he was the grandson of a well-known human explorer. Ramirez and Kate turned towards the western horizon and began their march, using the compass the teenager brought along to keep them from going astray. A little further up the road, Ace and his followers were on the final leg of their journey. Despite taking a wrong turn, which ended with them having to actually cross through the volcano range instead of bypassing it, they somehow came back on the right path.

In front of them was a huge slope and at the end of the slope was a tunnel. The whole thing seemed dodgy but something was pushing them towards the tunnel, an unseen force to be precise. Maybe it was gut instinct, maybe it was a divine being influencing them from above. Whatever it was, Ace was leading his followers towards the tunnel. As they neared a deep pool of water, the surrounding area suddenly came alive with snarls, causing everyone to scan the area in fear.

Within a matter of seconds, a huge pack of Theropods charged towards the small band of travellers, aiming to slaughter them before they reached the Great Valley. Ace and Red were the first to spring into action, followed by Justina, her husband Justin, and Ron the Magyarosaurus. Being the more cowardly member, Elise was tasked with taking the younglings towards the tunnel, a job she was more than willing to accept. Everyone had expected her to usher the younglings forward and haul ass but what they saw was a clear indication of cowardice.

As soon as she ushered the younglings towards the tunnel, Elise bolted towards it herself, sprinting ahead of Justin and Justina's children. Left unguarded, they were vulnerable to attack and two of the Theropods saw an easy meal. They turned away from the adults who were busy fighting and charged towards the four younglings.

 _ZAP_

 _CRACK_

The Theropod who was closest to the younglings suddenly fell dead. Blood bloomed from the open gunshot wound which could be seen on the back of its head. Hidden and out of sight of Ace and his followers, Ramirez loads a fresh cartridge into his Rolling Block rifle and shuts the breach, taking aim at the second Theropod.

 _BANG_

 _ZAP_

"I am the reaper." He quips.

While her human adoptive son provided covering fire with his rifle, Kate charged down and joined the fray, quickly tackling and killing one of the Theropods. Another attempts to get the better of her but she quickly takes it down as well. The sight of their old travelling companion returning to assist them reinvigorated the morale of Ace and his followers, and they ramped up their fight. Even under the relentless assault by the Theropods, they kept fighting, killing many and even throwing some into the water.

From behind a boulder, one of the Theropods finds himself in a position to launch a surprise attack on the leader of his foes. He grins coldly, feeling the adrenaline surge through his body. The thought of a quick victory flashed in his mind and he charged forward. Ace could hear the sound of someone charging towards him but by the time he swung around, it had been too late. The Theropod tackles him to the ground and clamps down on his neck.

Next to die was Red, who was overwhelmed by ten of the Theropods. That being said, he succeeded in taking five of those Theropods with him to the grave. Up on the slope, Elise could see her friends being slaughtered and she began to fear what would happen once the Theropods were done with them. She drops down behind a boulder and closed her eyes, silently awaiting her doom.

Back in the fray, Kate was tackled to the ground by one of her attackers but son shoots the bugger off with his revolver. Having seen Ace and Red die, he was done with plinking his enemies from afar. Naturally, the Theropods could not resist the temptation of attacking a human target and they swarmed towards him. Ramirez was unfazed by the numerical advantage his foes possessed and shot three of them with the remaining ammunition in his revolver.

He then drew his Bowie knife and showed everyone present at the scene of the battle the true meaning of bloodbath. Every single Theropod who tried to attack him either had its carotid arteries sliced open or felt the cold touch of steel jam through their chests. Their claws never got close to him except on one occasion and in that occasion, he dodged the attack and finished off his foe by nearly decapitating its head.

The Theropods' terrific idea of attacking a lone human with the remaining manpower they had at hand turned out to be their worst mistake. All those who attacked Ramirez perished during the engagement and the Alpha of the pack was killed when the late Red snapped his neck in half.

"How did you do that?" Kate asks her adoptive son. "Those things nearly decimated my pack!"

"Those things? You mean the puny punks who tried to kill me?" Ramirez laughs. "That's right! Come on out and fight me! That's what you fucking get!"

"He's certainly very angry." Justina said to her husband. "By the way, who's that Sharptooth following him?"

"I don't know." He answers.

Just then, movement came from the cave directly behind the pool of water. Instinctively Ramirez turns around with his newly reloaded revolver, expecting to face a foe. What he saw drove him to tears, not of sadness but of happiness.

"Florence!" He shouted.

"Ramirez?" She shouts back.

Despite being pulled underwater to what was supposed to be her doom, Florence somehow survived through her watery peril and was now here to greet her human friend. They embraced each other like old pals reunited after years of separation. Tears streamed from both their eyes; they knew what sort of feelings they harbored for one another. Kate too shed a tear for her adoptive son. She was glad that he finally reunited with his best friend whom he thought had died after being dragged underwater by a current.

Naturally, Ramirez took Florence to meet his adoptive mother. He wanted to prove to her that adult members of her species could also overcome their ancient beliefs.

"Mother, this is Florence." He said. "And Florence, this is my adoptive mother Kate."

"Nice to meet you." They both greeted each other and shook hands.

From a small distance away, Justin and Justina finally understood who the mysterious Utahdon was and glared at each other.

"Ow…" They spoke at the same time.

Up on the top of the slope, Elise walked out from behind the boulder she was hiding behind and stood right next to the younglings as they watched the others walk up to join them. She could see the human follower had returned and so had his Utahdon friend who was at this point really more a partner of his than anything else. Together, they entered the tunnel and begun their short walk towards the other side.

Even during that short "stroll" of theirs, Elise could tell she was being ignored. She knew the reason they were all ignoring her and kept quiet about it, hoping no one would bring it up ever again. On the other end of the tunnel, they were greeted by a slight mist as they stood on the ledge. Slowly the mist cleared, revealing one of the most breathtaking sights they've ever seen. All of them gasped simultaneously as they tried to comprehend what was in front of them.

"Grandpa, y-you were right." Ramirez mumbled. "The Great Valley is real."

"What are we waiting for?" Justin asked. "Let's head down there!"

Everyone rushed down into the Great Valley via the path on their right. Once they reached the bottom of the path, they split up. Ramirez and Florence went straight for the Thundering Falls, feeling the sound of water splashing down would make the perfect place to set up a small home they could live in. Justin and Justina also made a bolt for the water but they chose a location slightly downstream to avoid interfering with the humans.

Kate decided to tour the valley and see for herself what her husband had found. In the midst of doing so, she found someone she least expected to find.

"Charles?" She muttered in surprise.

"Is that…" He turns around. "Kate! It's you!"

"Oh my, Charles!"

While the other newcomers were either happily setting up their home or having an emotional reunion with long lost family members, Elise found herself all alone. Her arrogance hadn't helped her make many friends and the fact that she cowardly ran off while escorting the Saurolophuses' children didn't help either. In the plains and far away from the "brave" Utahdon, Ron was accepted into a new mixed herd of Sauropods. Here in the Great Valley there was no such thing as discrimination or racism.

Everyone knew what the other's background was and they all knew no one was better than the other. They all had respect for one another and treated their fellow residents as equal beings. This was something the newcomers had to learn fast, though learning to accept everyone was not something which bothered Ramirez and Florence. They did it ever since they were eight.

What they were more concerned with was getting their new home ready. And here in the Great Valley, there was never a shortage of manpower. A pair of Apatosauruses came by to help out along with three Saurolophuses and a Triceratops. Together they helped their new human resident and his meat eating girlfriend complete his dream home. The Saurolophuses even stayed around to help get his farm started, talk about hospitality.

"Well? What d'ya think?" Ramirez asks as he admires their new home. "Perfect?"

"Everything I'd ask for." Florence licks her boyfriend on the cheek. "Only trouble is, we won't be having any children when we decide to marry."

"Maybe you will, young lady." A voice came from behind.

Ramirez and Florence turn around and find Charles walking up to them while holding Kate's hands.

"Hello there, Ramirez." He reaches his hand out. "I'm Charles."

"Pleased to meet you." The teenager shakes his hand. "But what were you talking about Florence being wrong? I thought human sperm would never fertilize dinosaur eggs."

"Or so we thought." Kate chuckles. "Charles and I only married because he fertilized my eggs while giving me his specialty."

The two teenagers couldn't help but let out a suppressed giggle.

"Just remember." Charles said. "Decide whether or not you want to marry before unleashing your powerful gun."

"Yes pops." Ramirez grinned as he shook his head.

"Good, now mother and I best be going. We have a lot of catching up to do."

"Same here."

They went their separate ways but they both knew they were doing the exact same thing. Both were interspecies couples, one a middle aged couple and the other a teenaged couple. There was a very happy relationship in store for them, one which would last till the end of days.

 **We did it. All the perils, all the horrors; we fought to the bitter end and came up on top. Taboos of old we ditched; beliefs of nonsense we left behind; challenges we conquered. Many a things wouldn't have been achieved if even one of us made a slightly different choice. If I decided to shoot Florence instead of befriending her, we might not have even started this journey; if she decided to return home instead of joining me, I might've decided to stay behind too; if Kate decided to ignore or eat me, the whole expedition would've perished.**

 **These were just some of the decisions we made. At the time it did not seem important but thinking back, I have to say those were the best decisions we've made in our lives. It was because of those decisions we, the survivors of the attack, made it to the valley safely. That being said, I must say the late Ace made quite a mistake when he allowed Elise to join our group. Because not only was she a liability but she nearly got the Saurolophuses' children killed.**

 **Still, no matter what the mistakes or decisions, I believe the greatest "thank you" should be given to no one else but Sir Ashley McClemont; my grandfather. It was he who gave me the belief that the Great Valley was a very real place and it was this belief which allowed me and Florence to travel far and meet many interesting characters along the way. This belief also played a part in allowing me to live in one of the most beautiful places on the continent.**

 **Grandpa, thank you for your selfless sacrifice. Wherever you are, if you're still alive, I hope you are living a happy life. Maybe one day we'll see each other again. If for some reason you perish before we meet again, I say do not despair.**

 **Rest in peace you brave old man, your grandson will continue your legacy.**


End file.
